Burnley 0-0 Stoke City: Lethargic Clarets draw another home blank as Hannibal sees red

Scott Parker’s side have often struggled to break down stubborn outfits that have come to Turf Moor to sit back and make life difficult for them, having also been held to goalless draws against Preston, QPR and Derby.

It was a similar story in this first fixture of 2025 as the Clarets failed to even muster a shot on target against the Potters.

In fact, it was the away side who came the closest to snatching all three points, forcing a big save out of James Trafford and crashing an effort against the crossbar.

The Clarets even had to finish the game with 10 men when second-half substitute Hannibal was inexplicably sent off for a stamp.

While Parker’s men have momentarily moved into the top two ahead of Sheffield United’s late kick-off against Sunderland, they missed the chance to cut the gap on leaders Leeds who were held at home by Blackburn – who Burnley face next.

While Parker’s men made sure they still escaped with a point to extend their unbeaten run to 12, it was another opportunity missed to potentially move up into the Championship’s top two.

Facing a third game in the space of just six days, Parker opted to freshen things up by making four changes to his side from the goalless draw against Middlesbrough.

Bashir Humphreys, Josh Laurent, Hannibal and Zian Flemming were the four to drop down to the bench, while Lucas Pires, Jeremy Sarmiento, Luca Koleosho and Jay Rodriguez all came in to start.

Jordan Beyer, Aaron Ramsey, Enock Agyei, Manuel Benson, Nathan Redmond and Mike Tresor all remain unavailable.

As for Stoke, they named an unchanged side from their impressive 1-0 win against Sunderland at the weekend.

Despite appointing Mark Robins as their new boss earlier today, interim head coach Ryan Shawcross was still the man in charge before Robins officially takes the hotseat.

Both sides looked to take the initiative from the off but it was Burnley who threatened first, as Jaidon Anthony curled over from outside the box after being teed up by Luca Koleosho.

Out of possession Stoke packed the centre of the pitch, which stopped Burnley’s supply from the two Josh’s - Cullen and Brownhill. It means the hosts struggled to build up any play and create anything of note as a result.

Midway through the half the Clarets did finally threaten again, although it was only a half chance for Jeremy Sarmiento who glanced a header comfortably wide from Anthony’s left wing cross.

Connor Roberts then tried his luck from distance as Burnley kept the ball alive from a corner, only to see his drive flick off the head of a Stoke defender and deflect over.

As Burnley struggled to break down Stoke’s resistance, the away side started to grow in confidence and belief. Five minutes before the interval they created their first real chance of note when Tom Cannon got in behind Roberts only to shoot weakly at James Trafford.

Trafford was then forced into another save, this one from close range, as a Stoke man looked to force the ball home from an angle.

After an uneventful and lethargic first-half display, Burnley fans wanted to see a reaction from their side at the start of the second 45, but it was Stoke who continued to look the more dangerous.

Burnley required an important Trafford save to keep the scores level 10 minutes after the restart as Cannon let fly with a ferocious volley.

The hosts hit back with a good chance of their own, two in fact, as Josh Brownhill’s initial goalbound effort was well blocked before a Stoke man also got their body in the way to deny Anthony’s rebound, with the goalkeeper floored.

The home fans desperately appealed for a handball but the second block but nothing was doing.

The Clarets were still given up too many opportunities though and were given another let-off on the hour mark when Bae Jun-ho was allowed to run towards the Burnley box before seeing his strike deflect narrowly over.

Parker finally opted to change things up shortly afterwards, introducing ex-Stoke man Josh Laurent and Zian Flemming for the largely ineffective Koleosho and Rodriguez. Hannibal followed shortly afterwards in place of Sarmiento.

At this point the hosts were beginning to offer more of a threat, as Roberts climbed above his marker to head just wide of the far post from Anthony’s corner.

Stoke continued to look the more likely to make the breakthrough and they almost did exactly that 15 minutes from time when Lewis Koumas crashed a fierce effort off the top of the crossbar after drifting in from the right flank.

Parker’s last throw of the dice came 12 minutes from time when he introduced Bashir Humphreys and Lyle Foster off the bench.

Despite bringing on a natural striker in Foster, the South African appeared to be playing behind Flemming, who normally is at his best in a number 10 role himself.

The changes made little difference though and the hosts were unable to fashion any late chances to grab the win. In fact they were forced to play the final few minutes with 10 men after Hannibal was needlessly dismissed for a stamp on Junior Tchamadeu, giving referee Gavin Ward no choice but to flash a straight red.

The dismissal actually seemed to ignite a flame for Burnley as they chased an unlikely last-gasp winner with a man down, but it would have been a victory their performance scarcely deserved.

It could easily have got much worse though, as former Blackburn man Sam Gallagher squandered a huge chance to win it for Stoke at the death when he headed inches wide of the far post.

Saying that, the Clarets could have stolen it at the death themselves when Josh Laurent headed over from a tight angle from only a few yards out after Brownhill’s shot had been charged down.

TEAMS

Burnley: Trafford, Roberts, Egan-Riley, Esteve, Pires (Humphreys), Cullen (Foster), Brownhill, Anthony, Sarmiento (Hannibal), Koleosho (Laurent), Rodriguez (Flemming)

Subs not used: Hladky, Egan, Worrall, Hountondji

Stoke: Johansson, Gooch, Burger (Gallagher), Junho, Wilmot, Tchamadeu, Moran, Phillips, Koumas, Seko, Cannon (Tezgel)

Subs not used: Bonham, Ennis, Gibson, Lawal, Rose, Sidibe, Stevens

Referee: Gavin Ward